Routine injury turns career-threatening, with a dispute around whether the bowler received correct diagnoses from the PCB

Danyal Rasool05-Apr-2024The PCB’s medical management of fast bowlers is again under the microscope after it emerged that Pakistan and Multan Sultans fast bowler Ihsanullah had an elbow injury initially misdiagnosed, which has resulted in a routine injury turning into a significantly more serious one.Ihsanullah last played for Pakistan on his ODI debut in April 2023 and was initially sidelined with an elbow injury which the PCB medical department, led by Dr Sohail Saleem, did not fully appreciate the gravity of. That game also remains his last at the competitive level.Dr Saleem, left the PCB after an unsuccessful PCB attempt at holding a PSL season in a Covid-19 bubble in 2021, before being brought back to the cricket board under Najam Sethi’s chairmanship in early 2023.He strongly disputes that there was mismanagement on the part of the PCB in their treatment of Ihsanullah. “There was no mishandling in this case,” Dr Saleem tells ESPNcricinfo. “I’ll admit there was a delay [in the initial diagnosis], but no mishandling.”That delay, though, is the focus of much scrutiny. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Sultans owner Ali Tareen said that the PCB’s medical department could not pick up an elbow fracture in the scans they conducted, and subsequently went about straightening his elbow. Ihsanullah went on to a training regimen that included gym work and regular bowling despite no confirmation that a more serious injury had been decisively ruled out.Related

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Dealing with a crisis, the PCB way

A later scan after repeated complaints of pain revealed a fracture, significantly exacerbated by the stress of the workload he had been put through. Mainstream medical consensus suggests this could have even been career-threatening, or at the very least permanently hindered his ability to remain the high-speed pace bowler he shot to fame with.Dr Saleem says he suspected Ihsanullah’s injury was worse than it initially appeared. “I said I wanted to get fresh tests conducted because I suspected it was more than just workload syndrome. It was diagnosed as such by the doctor who was previously here at the PCB, and not my team. A lab that gave us an MRI scan gave us an incorrect prognosis. I ordered the same scan again, and we picked the fracture up.”*This claim, however, is not without contention. The previous chief medical officer at the PCB, Dr Najeebullah Soomro, contacted ESPNcricinfo to directly refute that he had diagnosed Ihsanullah incorrectly, pointing out the bowler had played a full series after Dr Soomro left. He has also contacted Dr Saleem, asking him to clarify his statement.Dr Saleem also claims it was his suspicion after Ihansullah complained of pain when he bowled on the very first day. A surgeon was brought to Pakistan on the advice of Dr Saleem, but despite the surgery, Ihsanullah’s ability to straighten his elbow remained significantly inhibited.Dr Saleem says the pain he complained about was a kind of routine “post-surgical pain that everyone feels”. “The recovery period of an injury this serious isn’t three months, it’s much longer.”There were also signs of a fraying relationship between the bowler and the PCB in this period. Dr Saleem said Ihsanullah asked to leave the accommodation at the National Cricket Academy provided by the PCB of his own accord. He also said the player would often opt for massage therapy unauthorised by the PCB, further hindering his development.”We have worked on Ihsanullah a lot,” contests Dr Saleem. “We spent a lot of money on Ihsanullah, and have now arranged for his visa to the UK. But he wanted the shortest possible time span to full fitness. Our rehab is based on recovery-related criteria independent of time.”According to Tareen, when Dr Javed Mughal, a physiotherapist who works in the UK and is now a consultant with the PCB, was brought in for a second opinion, it was discovered there was a separate injury concern with Ihsanullah’s bowling shoulder that had also gone undiagnosed. Tareen told ESPNcricinfo that he believes Ihsanullah will likely require further surgery. Should it happen, it will take place in the UK, with the PCB footing the bill.Tareen took to Twitter earlier this week to reveal it was Sultans and not the PCB who bore the brunt of his living expenses while he recovered, saying they would also arrange for Ihsanullah to travel to England later this month “to be assessed by a world-renowned surgeon”. The current PCB chairman, who was not in situ for the best part of Ihsanullah’s lengthy injury layoff, spoke to Tareen following those comments, reportedly expressing dissatisfaction at the bowler’s treatment. It is now believed the PCB will pick up the tab and logistical arrangements for Ihsanullah’s recovery.Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah have both had lengthy injury lay-offs recently•AFP/Getty ImagesIhsanullah was among the leading lights for Sultans at last year’s PSL, finishing as the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker with 22 wickets at 15.77. He was drafted into Pakistan’s T20I and ODI squads following the tournament and also made his debut in both formats.That yet another Pakistan fast bowler’s medical treatment left a lot to be desired will invariably raise further uncomfortable questions for a cricket board that has come under intense scrutiny for bungling fast bowlers’ medical treatments. A number of players, and coaching and management staff, have privately expressed to ESPNcricinfo that there is a trust deficit between several players and Dr Saleem, something that is only likely to be thrown into sharper relief now.In the last two years, multiple Pakistan fast bowlers have suffered lengthy injury layoffs. In July 2022, when Shaheen Shah Afridi suffered a knee ligament injury, it was also initially undiagnosed. He attended camps and travelled with the team for a month, before flying to the UK while paying for himself and staying in a two-star hotel as he sought independent treatment. It was only after Shahid Afridi complained publicly that the PCB said they would cover all of Shaheen’s expenses.Naseem Shah was known to be managing a back and shoulder complaint that caused him discomfort in the build-up to his right shoulder injury, which happened two months after Afridi was injured, and caused a six-month lay-off. That led to Naseem missing the World Cup and the Australia tour that followed.Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi have also suffered lengthy injuries in the recent past•Associated PressMohammad Hasnain only recently returned from a long injury lay-off, while Khurram Shahzad was ruled out with a long-term injury following his Test debut in Perth last year.Dr Saleem wasn’t around when Shaheen had his injury lay-off, but defends the PCB’s medical management fiercely, citing the constraints and budgets they work under compared to sports medicine specialists abroad.”The people advising me from the UK, I advise them to come here and work within the environment. I invite them to work here in these conditions. There has never been a time when we haven’t done our best for any player.”However, there is a reason Pakistan supporters tend to fear the worst when a fast bowler ends up injured, and that loss of confidence will only deepen when situations like Ihsanullah’s exist. The best defence of any sporting medical department comes in the form of wider player availability, quicker recovery times, and fewer injuries. And, as Ihsanullah’s case illustrates, there is significant room for improvement.*

Osman Samiuddin and Dileep Premachandran pick their three players to watch

Osman Samiuddin and Dileep Premachandran12-Jan-2006

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan could be equally dangerous this time round © Getty Images
Inzamam-ul-Haq
For Inzamam, batting has never been as precise a skill as it has been in the last year. Almost every time he has moped to the crease, he has begun intent and finished with aplomb. More often Pakistan have been in crisis and occasionally in a position of strength, but Inzamam has always produced. This winter – or summer – world cricket has witnessed Inzamam and Ricky Ponting, two batting captains at their absolute peak. And here too Inzamam will be expected to score; his captaincy leans so heavily on his form that his runs are doubly crucial. A good time to face Anil Kumble, whose low-trajectoried legbreaks have harassed Inzamam traditionally.Shoaib Akhtar
Back in the business of fast bowling and how. Although his recent record prior to the series against England was impressive anyway, with 17 wickets in three Tests, over a hundred overs and stellar batting rearguards, he became literally a new man. A bit like his slower ball; he’s always had a good one but against England, with added flight and dip, it became a superb one. Although he stamped his presence internationally with two deliveries against India at Eden Gardens, spiritually they have become almost a bogey team for him now, after his infamous absence last year and notorious underperformance two years ago. If he can sustain the hostility, then some of his spells to the likes of Sehwag, Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman promise great things.Danish Kaneria
After his success this past year and his performances in India last year, he has a reputation to uphold rather than establish and that may be one of the more significant challenges. Against England and the West Indies he won matches with swift wickets and he can be thanked, in the age of Warne and Kumble, for making the googly fashionable again. The Indians adjusted to him well last year but never really nullified him and for batsmen used to toying with leggies, it would have grated. Might not be burdened as much this time as he was in the last series but his contributions will be equally as crucial.Wild Card – Rana Naved-ul-Hasan
Completely in keeping with his demeanour, his Test performances against England in the last series were among the most promising and simultaneously among the least celebrated developments. He had said before the series that the imbalance in his ODI and Test performances was a mental rather than skill-based aberration and he finally overcame it, with some help from four-day county cricket. What India saw in the ODI series in India, they might now see in the Tests here. He has become, in two Tests, an exciting and remarkable foil to Shoaib; he experiments, he swings the ball, has bustling pace and various changes of it, he bowls for hours. Additionally, his Duracell-fuelled energy with bat or in the field is a sizeable bonus. An eye, a diligent one, will have to be kept on him.

Sachin Tendulkar: The only player in the side to tour Pakistan thrice © Getty Images
Rahul Dravid
When Dravid has scored big, which has been with monotonous regularity over the past five seasons, India have rarely ever lost. When those lofty standards have dropped, as against Australia last season, India have subsided to defeat. Sehwag may be more flamboyant and Tendulkar more celebrated but, more often than not, it’s been Dravid’s obduracy and sheer bloody-mindedness that has thwarted the opposition. Once defensive and dour, he can now also change gears effortlessly and with cynics pointing to an average of 22 from six Tests as captain, you can be sure that he’s whipping up the eggs to smear on their faces.Record against Pakistan: 9 Tests, 804 runs at 53.6, 3×100, 2x50Virender Sehwag
Until he stuttered in Zimbabwe – and he can rarely be bothered with minnow-bashing – and at home against Sri Lanka, Sehwag had legitimate claims to being the world’s most destructive and effective opening bat. Striking the ball as powerfully as Matthew Hayden in his pomp, Sehwag mined a rich vein of form that included glorious centuries against Australia and Pakistan – 309 at Multan and 203 at Bangalore being the pick of the bunch. He hasn’t really struggled of late, but has kept frittering away starts, which could be absolutely fatal to India’s chances if repeated in this series.Record against Pakistan: 6 Tests, 982 runs at 98.2, 3×100, 2x50Anil Kumble
By relentlessly pushing himself in search of slow-bowling perfection at an age when most think of the comforts of the commentary box, he has been the subcontinent’s answer to Shane Warne – without the nurses and the lewd texts. The last tour of Pakistan was part of an incredible renaissance that included matchwinning displays at Adelaide, Multan and Chennai and while accuracy and persistence remain his calling cards, there is also an enhanced repertoire to worry about. Factor in a matchless attitude, and you know why he remains so dangerous even when the ball’s not turning his way.Record against Pakistan: 9 Tests, 54 wickets at 27.48, Four 5-wicket hauls.Wild card – Sachin Tendulkar
It would be tempting to cite the burgeoning allround talent of Irfan Pathan, but his figures against Pakistan (18 wickets at 41.77, and 128 runs at 18.28) don’t really inspire confidence. Even in Tendulkar’s case, the numbers – 855 runs at 42.75 – are far less formidable than against most opposition, largely the result of the four Tests he played without much success as a kid in 1989. But when was the last time India went through a major series without Tendulkar making some inimitable imprint on proceedings? And when you keep him quiet with the bat, he may just sting you with his spin variations, as Moin Khan discovered to his horror at Multan on the last tour.Record against Pakistan: 13 Tests, 855 runs at 42.75, 2×100, 5×50

Virender Sehwag put on a brave face as he tried to explain another batting collapse from the World XI on the second day at Sydney

Andrew McGlashan at the SCG15-Oct-2005

Virender Sehwag put on a brave face as he tried to explain another batting collapse from the World XI on the second day at Sydney. He was less culpable than most of his team-mates, after flaying a powerful 76, but refused to blame his peers for the collapse from 134 for 3 to 190 all out. “The Australians are bowling very well. We are ready for every challenge – but sometimes the batting clicks and sometimes it doesn’t,” he told reporters after play.With the Super Series desperately needing a contest to match the hype, the World XI suffered a top-order slump against Glenn McGrath before being spun out by Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill. Sehwag conceded that the early loss of wickets proved crucial: “Today we got starts but still we lost some early wickets like Brian [Lara] and Rahul [Dravid]. So if they could get runs then we can come back in the second innings.”Other than Sehwag’s innings, it was a barren day as far as positives go for the World XI. There is a feeling that they have shown the Australian attack too much respect but Sehwag said that quality bowling needs to be treated watchfully. “They are bowling in the right areas and you have to show them some respect, especially against the new ball. If we want to bat really well we have to spend more time at the wicket, so we are looking forward to tomorrow and being able to get back into the game.”Sehwag denied that the World XI were embarrassed by their poor batting performance, and instead were focusing hard on how they could turn the match around. “We are just backing ourselves. We are talking in the dressing room that we have to play well tomorrow if we want to win this game and we will come out hard. It is cricket: you never know.”

Players who hit the spotlight thanks to the media must be prepared for the harsh glare

Aakash Chopra11-Feb-2007

If Sehwag manages to get runs in the next game, it will be dubbed a timely return to form ahead of the World Cup but, if he fails, no one will spare a moment of thought in sympathy for the man © Hindustan Times
In another game, where it generally pays to whack the ball as hard and as far as you possibly can, another often misunderstood sportsman once distinctively remarked, “Slump? I ain’t in no slump. I just ain’t hittin.” Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra is now 80-plus, but many of his pithy ‘Yogiisms’ would be happily taken up by many of my cricketing colleagues. With the same spirit.Case in point: Ever since India’s tour to South Africa ended, Virender Sehwag has been the talk of the town. First for his omission in the series against West Indies, then for his inclusion in the side for this series (which, doubters believe, apparently bettered his chances for the World Cup), and now for an alleged manager’s report that is said to reveal a lot of damning secrets about his behaviour in South Africa.Intriguingly, this “report” was leaked just before Viru was set to play his first match after his comeback and that itself gives rise to many questions (which, of course, is not my job to raise).However, the situation took me back to the day before I made my debut for India in October 2003. I got a call from an inquisitive (and well known) journalist, ostensibly to ask about my plans for the Kiwis but matters quickly went another way. He soon reminded me of a couple of balls I had nicked in the side game prior to the Test and how lucky I was to find no third or fourth slip in place. He went on to tell me about an inside edge that missed the stumps narrowly and how I was seen to be uncomfortable against the Kiwi attack.He must have watched the tour game very closely indeed as he detected a flaw in my forward defence too (and told me in detail). Finally, when I put the phone down, I was in a daze and left wondering if there was anything right at all about my batting and technique. I had scored runs against the same opposition in the two warm-up games while playing for the Board President’s XI and India A but that conversation scared me more than actually facing Daniel Vettori and the others.And it was not an isolated incident. On the eve of our first Test in Australia, later that year, a senior, renowned cricket journalist took the time out to explain to me why I had neither the technique nor the temperament to face the Aussies at the Gabba!I’m certain every cricketer who’s played for the country has encountered similar situations. I haven’t spoken to Viru about this but I’m sure he’s been bombarded by calls and text messages in the past few days. I’m also sure a lot of people trying to get in touch with him were not ill-intentioned and were merely trying to put forward his case but does he need all that attention before a hugely important game?His focus should be on the game but is it really possible to not only switch off your cell phone but also switch off mentally and turn a deaf ear to whatever is happening around? If he manages to get runs in the next game, it will be dubbed a timely return to form ahead of the World Cup but, if he fails, no one will spare a moment of thought in sympathy for the man.Players are humans (though many believe they aren’t) and are as affected by the environment around them, especially if they’re in a fragile state of mind, as most other people. There’s more than enough on your plate during these times (regarding your form and self-belief) and any add-ons are disruptive. But who’s listening? On the eve of our first Test in Australia, later that year, a senior, renowned cricket journalist took the time out to explain to me why I had neither the technique nor the temperament to face the Aussies at the Gabba Before I’m attacked for being anti-media, let me quickly say I’m not. I think the media of today does a great job in highlighting domestic performances and bringing deserving players into the national reckoning. Look at how Robin Uthappa was rewarded for his outstanding first-class season and is now a new sensation. Or the way Ranadeb Bose has figured on every news channel after taking his team to the Ranji finals.This wasn’t the first time a player had scored in excess of 1000 runs or taken 57 wickets in a season. A few years ago, Tamil Nadu’s Sridharan Sriram scored more than 1200 runs in 12 games, Dinesh Mongia totalled more than 1000 in 11 while I managed to cross the 900-run mark (in 9 and 11 matches respectively) in two consecutive seasons.Similarly, Narendra Hirwani, the former India legspinner, took 79 wickets in 2002-03; the same season Sairaj Bahutule, another former India leggie, took 62 wickets. But did anyone really know anything about it then? The answer is no, simply because the kind of interest you see in domestic cricket now was absent a couple of years ago.This has happened because purely because of the media, thanks to whom people across the country now know in advance who’s next in line for an India cap, instead of knowing people only when they wear one.The added pressure is the flip side of the publicity. So not only do you have to develop a skin thick enough to face verbal assaults (read: sledging) from the opposition but also to prevent whatever is written or said about you in the media to get to you. Or, to paraphrase Yogi Berra, the nickel you have won’t be worth a dime. Tell us what you think of this article

The hits and misses in Bangladesh’s victory over India

Plays of the Day by Siddhartha Vaidyanathan17-Mar-2007

Collision of the day
Off the very second ball of the match, Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag found their paths intercepted. Ganguly dropped the ball in front of him in the off side and they set off for a run. Sehwag responded and rushed across, only to meet Aftab Ahmed running in from cover. Sehwag, in trying to avoid him, came close to being run-out – just making it by virtue of a jump – while Ganguly barged into the bowler at the other end. Ouch.Ball of the day
There were a few jaffas from the Bangladesh new-ball bowlers early on but none more lethal than Abdur Razzak’s peach of an arm-ball, to flummox Sachin Tendulkar. In the last ball of the 15th over, after firing a few faster ones through, he slipped in an arm-ball that looped and turned into Tendulkar. . His bat came down outside the line, the ball deflected off the inside-edge, ricochet off his pads and bobbed up to the wicketkeeper. It was deception of the highest class.Shot of the day
Undoubtedly the six that Tamim Iqbal walloped off Zaheer Khan in the 11th over. He charged down the track, as if possessed, and pulled a short-of-a-length delivery over long-on. It was a statement of intent, and the manner in which the ball crashed into the first tier balcony was simply stunning.Drop of the day
It happened in the 16th over of Bangladesh’s innings when Mushfiqur Rahim, who went on to a half-century, was on 8. It pitched on off stump and jagged back. Mushfiqur fended at it and got a thick outside edge that flew low to Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s right. He dived for it with one hand and got a glove to it, which popped in and popped out.

Anand Vasu analyses Misbah-ul-Haq’s unbeaten 161 which saved Pakistan the embarassment of a follow-on

Anand Vasu in Kolkata03-Dec-2007

Misbah-ul-Haq did his best to snuff out any chance of an Indian win in this Test with a batting performance that would have made anyone proud. That his first century was composed and perfectly suited to the situation his team was in, and that it coincided with the birthday of his son Afham-ul-Haq, only made it all the more special.Misbah does not seem the kind to get overly sentimental about these things, or one to waste opportunities. Dropped from the side after making his debut in 2001, he completed a master’s degree in business administration before Pakistan’s selectors did a double take and spared him a life in the world of marketing. On the day, although the match isn’t quite saved just yet, the selectors can pat themselves on the back, for Misbah’s unbeaten 161 kept India at bay and the series alive.Misbah’s ability to hit the ball far is already well established. His preferred mode of operation at the recent ICC World Twenty20 was to get his left foot well out of the way, freeing up space to have an unhindered swing at what was delivered at him. A key to his success was the manner in which he waited as long as possible before choosing exactly which shot to execute, and where to try and place it.There was no big hitting in this innings, and the tactic of playing late was the striking feature. On a pitch where the ball was not coming on to the bat, the odd delivery was behaving abnormally or threatening to do so, or when it pitched in the rough created by the bowlers’ foot marks, Misbah got his strategy just right. He put the big drive safely away and used his hands especially well, playing with extreme softness against the fast bowlers, dropping the ball dead to his feet. Against the spinners, with fielders close in, he adjusted, pushing the ball with firmer hands, ensuring that neither forward short-leg nor silly mid-off had a chance.

“The session after tea on day three was important because the Indian team put a lot of pressure on us,” Misbah said, at the end of the fourth day. “That was a critical session. After that day the morning session was crucial because anything could have happened if they had got the follow-on. We could have batted again, so those 2-3 hours that we batted was crucial.” It’s a cricketing cliché, but this was a classic example of playing the game session by session, thereby relieving the pressure that a huge target places on you.But if yesterday was all about absorbing pressure and building a partnership with Kamran Akmal, whose innings Misbah called “extraordinary”, the final day could present a completely different challenge for a middle-order batsman. Misbah explained his mindset when he came in to bat yesterday, with five wickets down and a serious chance of Pakistan folding meekly. “You have to bat according to the match situation. An experienced bowler like Kumble was bowling on a third day’s wicket which had broken a lot and it was difficult so I had to apply myself,” said Misbah. “So I was only thinking that it’s okay if I got out to a good ball, but I was determined not to make a mistake and give my wicket away.”It’s only thanks to Misbah’s nine-hour-and-twenty-two-minute marathon that Pakistan are alive in this game and actually entertaining thoughts of a chase if it came to that. While his innings has tremendous personal significance, and the bulk of the scoring was done on the third day, it was the 53 runs he added on the fourth that took Pakistan past the follow-on mark, and to relative safety. That done, Misbah is now looking forward to the final day, and didn’t appear to be provoked when asked questions about Pakistan’s chances.”In Test cricket you should not have a fixed mindset. As and when the situation comes you must deal with it. If the Indian team sets a target then we will go there and play normal cricket,” said Misbah. “If a situation develops where our openers give us a good start, maybe then we can decide whether to chase the target or just play out the day.”If either situation develops – a good start that sets up an unlikely chase or an early collapse that requires repair work – Misbah is your man.

For Scotland, the tournament will amount to little more than experience at the highest level. The gulf between them and the Full Member sides is just too large. By Will Luke

Will Luke07-Sep-2007

Dougie Brown is back, but how far will he be able to carry Scotland on his own? © Getty Images
The names Brown, Blain and Drummond may not send a cold chill down opposing captains’ spines, but Scotland are determined to shake off the tag of no-hopers and make amends for their dismal showing in the World Cup.They and Kenya are the only two Associates to feature, after reaching the final of the World Cricket League in Nairobi in February. As ever, though, their participation in this tournament raises the age-old question: are they (and Kenya) good enough and do they warrant inclusion along with Full Member nations?It will be terrific experience for them, no doubt. And yes, the fewer the overs, the greater the chance teams like Scotland and Kenya have of inflicting an upset. But their training has been characteristically poor – the squad haven’t trained together since their last one-dayer, against India in August – and the disparity of talent between them and the top teams will be too great.Home truths
The good news is that Dougie Brown, their most experienced player, is back. The bad news is he has only played two club games since his Achilles injury in July. He alone can’t carry the team, especially against the naturally aggressive batsmen that both Pakistan and India possess. However their captain, Ryan Watson, has spoken boldly of their chances and reckons Scotland have won “90 per cent of games in the last few years which have been reduced to 25 overs or less”. The fewer the overs, the greater the chance teams like Scotland have of inflicting an upset. But their training has been characteristically poor and the disparity of talent between them and the top teams will be too great Strengths
Brown is their strength, if only for his exposure to Twenty20 in county cricket. But due to his injury he is unlikely to bowl too much, which will further weaken Scotland’s attack. Likewise Gavin Hamilton, 32, will give the squad some lower-order nous, and Scotland’s fielding is impressively watertight for an Associate.Weaknesses
Scotland have never played a Twenty20. Adding to that rather significant hamstring: the team haven’t trained together for a month as they all have full-time jobs. Watson is a powerful striker of the ball, but their batting lacks the frenetic urgency required to post challenging totals.Player to watch
Soft-spoken off the pitch; solid, powerful and combative out in the middle. His game is the most balanced of Scotland’s line-up. In 21 ODIs he has made three fifties and a top-score of 123.Dark horse
As Ireland proved with their defeat of Pakistan in the World Cup, anything’s possible in the shortened game. The odd questionable lbw decision; a dropped catch here and a flurry of sixes there, and who knows?

Pakistan’s ever-malleable domestic structure has for long suffered from apathy and polarised opinion among the country’s cricket insiders. Now yet another series of changes may be in the offing

Saad Shafqat20-Jan-2008

The final of Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament concluded recently, surrounded by empty stands – as it has for many years – and without television coverage (it was due to be broadcast but the channel is currently off-air). Match reports appeared in the sports pages but were glossed over. Even cricket nuts, the kind who set 3.30am alarms to catch New Zealand v Bangladesh, did not take notice. Karachi’s centrally located National Stadium hosted the game. Entry was free and there were no security barriers. A number of Test heroes, including Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi and Danish Kaneria participated. Yet the event felt like the proverbial tree falling in the forest, leaving you wondering if it made a sound.All the same, there is no shortage of people – players, administrators, analysts, observers and casual fans – offering opinions on Pakistan’s domestic game. Imran Khan, one of its most trenchant critics, keeps calling for a radical overhaul, while Javed Miandad, one of its foremost supporters, argues for preserving its basic ethos.Administrators are either sanguine about its prospects or – like an ex-PCB chairman who recently said there was nothing wrong with it – in denial about its flaws. Journalists lament that it is no longer a nursery for future stars. Fans blame it for the chronic maladies that afflict Pakistan’s national side.First-class cricket in Pakistan does have some unique peculiarities. In addition to regional teams there are outfits representing corporate organisations such as banks, airlines, and energy companies. Few of Pakistan’s internationals participate domestically. And there is not one first-class tournament but (in most years) as many as three, arranged in a structure that never sits still.”In 60 years, no two domestic seasons have been the same,” says Abid Ali Kazi, a statistician and contributor who has compiled an authoritative reference work on Pakistan’s home seasons. The number of participating teams, competition formats, criteria for promotion and relegation, and even the number of tournaments, varies yearly. This bewildering complexity is in striking contrast to other countries. Australia, for example, has one first-class, one one-day, and one Twenty20 tournament, all competed in by a fixed number of regional teams in an unchanging configuration.The leading tournament is the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which has traditionally comprised regional teams. Alongside that has been the Patron’s Trophy, which typically features corporate teams. Often the top five teams from the two have also competed in a Pentangular. There is also a one-day tournament and, since 2005, a Twenty20 tournament. Apart from the Twenty20 games, which are televised, generate water-cooler talk, and fill stadia, little else gets noticed.One of the chronic ills of Pakistan’s domestic season is believed to be its lack of intensity, which ill-prepares players for the international circuit. Imran blames it on the presence of departmental teams. He has frequently said that teams representing corporate entities are sterile competitors, because they cannot generate excitement or inspire fan following.Yet these corporate teams, the brainchild of Pakistan’s first captain, Abdul Hafeez Kardar, serve a crucial purpose. Kardar realised that Pakistan’s cricketers would have a very limited professional base if they relied only on district cricket associations, because these bodies inevitably struggled for financial viability. Rather than take up an impractical crusade against corruption and nepotism in regional cricket bodies, he convinced a number of government and semi-government companies to employ cricketers by developing and fielding teams in first-class cricket in the early 1970s. It may be a contrived formula – imagine Barclays Bank and British Airways playing alongside Sussex and Surrey – but it has been the economic key to sustaining cricket infrastructure in Pakistan.

A number of leading players, including Miandad, support this system, further arguing that since Pakistan’s domestic game has thrown up a fair share of world beaters, it must be doing something right. Miandad often cites his own example. A proud product of the local system, he more than held his own around the world, and cannot see why the same is not possible for any other hardworking lad with a reasonable amount of talent and luck. Miandad is the archetypal example of what is best about Pakistan’s first-class system. He spent his formative years in the thick of it, and developed a close relationship with his employers, Habib Bank, that continued fruitfully until well after his playing days.If anything, contrasting views on Pakistan’s domestic game confirm that the system is ripe for meaningful reform. Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, envisions a not-too-distant future when Pakistan will have a single flagship first-class tournament in which 16 teams compete. A strictly enforced system of relegation will add prestige and intensity. Ahsan Malik, the board’s marketing director, explains that this will incorporate both departmental and regional presence, as was the case in this year’s Quaid-e-Azam trophy. “We are aiming to develop regional teams partnered by corporate sponsors,” he said during a training camp recently. “We are even considering opening team ownership to private investors as a franchise, along the lines of the business model seen in American sports and European football.”These ideas are promising, yet hurdles exist. Convincing national-level corporations to become identified sponsors for one city or region won’t be easy. In parallel, an efficient administrative structure must develop to promote and maintain world-standard facilities for domestic cricket in every corner of Pakistan. External circumstances must also be favorable. There might not be a Twenty20 tournament this year, for example, because when President Musharraf declared a state of emergency last November, he also banned the local television sports channel that had successfully bid for domestic cricket rights. Without TV coverage, sponsors aren’t interested.Despite all this, cricket followers continue to hold out hope for a permanent and successful reconfiguration of Pakistan’s first-class season. The odds are against it, but sometimes that is just how Pakistan prefers it.

Turuwar Kohli has quietly gone about being one of India’s key players at the Under-19 World Cup

George Binoy in Kuala Lumpur24-Feb-2008
The matches of the U-19 World Cup are the first significant ones of Turuwar Kohli’s career in which he opened the batting © Getty Images
If it was time to choose India’s stand-out performances at the Under-19 World Cup so far, Virat Kohli’s aggressive hundred against West Indies and Pradeep Sangwan’s swing bowling, which produced a five-wicket haul, would top the list. Perhaps even some Tanmay Srivastava’s super-calm knocks at No. 3. Think twice and Turuwar Kohli would be a deserved addition. His consistent scores as opener haven’t been the most riveting but his steady accumulation of runs has made him the highest run-scorer in the tournament.Turuwar’s consistency cannot be understated. He hasn’t had a bad match – making 40 against Papua New Guinea, 54 in the run-chase against South Africa, 50 versus West Indies, and 63 not out to eliminate England from the competition. He builds his innings patiently, taking his time to settle, and plays majority of his shots along the ground. As a result of his watchful approach, India have not lost two early wickets in the tournament even though Turuwar’s opening partner, Shreevats Goswami, is yet to hit his stride.What makes his performances more remarkable is that he did not open in the practice matches. He didn’t bat against England and made 34 batting at No. 7 against New Zealand. It was because Tamil Nadu batsman Abhinav Mukund scored 13 and 0 while opening in the warm-ups that Turuwar gained a promotion. In fact, this was the first time that Turuwar was opening in matches of significance. He bats at No. 3 for Punjab U-19s, a side he has represented for two years, and is usually a middle-order batsman. However, Turuwar shrugged off the magnitude of opening on such a large stage without much prior experience.”It’s [opening] similar to playing at No. 3, seeing off the new ball is the main aim,” Turuwar said. “I try to stick to the basics and I have patience.”He’s been a picture of calmness in the World Cup, anchoring the innings and providing a solid platform for Srivastava and the power-hitters like Virat and Saurav Tiwary. Turuwar, however, said that he was only playing according to the demands of the situation because India haven’t had a large target to chase yet. His careful style comes naturally but he says he can force the pace if necessary.”I don’t always play like this [cautiously], I have several gears,” Turuwar said. “If needed, I can play attacking cricket. This [against England] was a low-scoring game so there was no need to hit big strokes. You have to adapt to the situation, if it needs you to play shots you have to play strokes. I have played rash shots in the earlier games and I learnt frommy mistakes.”Turuwar, who is from Jalandhar, is from a sporting family: his father, Sushil, played water polo for India and was a bronze medalist at the Asian Games. His family also owns a sports goods factory ‘Beat All Sports’ which ensured that Turuwar did not have to go too far to have access to high-quality cricket gear during his formative years. He started playing cricket at the age of 10 and joined an academy at Burlton Park, which has also produced cricketers such as Harbhajan Singh and Vikram Rathore, at the age of 14. However, Turuwar said that his approach to cricket between 14 and 16 wasn’t serious and it was a paid tour to England with Mumbai’s Worli Cricket Club that made him change his outlook to the game. He’s a relatively new addition to India’s Under-19 squad and so far he’s proved to be extremely valuable.

Jamie Alter on India’s inability to win two consecutive Test matches over the last three years

Jamie Alter in Colombo27-Jul-2008
Troubling signs: Rahul Dravid could only manage 24 runs over two innings in the first Test © AFP
For a side aspiring to be number one, here’s a damning piece of statistic: India have not won two consecutive Tests in the last three years.After beating Sri Lanka 2-0 at home in 2005, India’s three overseas tours against the top three sides in the world resulted in three Test wins. In South Africa two years ago, they came into the Test series on the back of a 4-0 one-day drubbing and memorably won the first match in Johannesburg. Then they nosedived, losing by 174 runs and five wickets respectively, to squander the series.In England last summer, they hung on by the skin of their teeth at Lord’s thanks to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a bit of rain, and an umpiring error from Steve Bucknor, and improved to take the series 1-0. In Australia, they were drubbed at the MCG, improved significantly in Sydney in a game marred by controversy, and then famously won in Perth.There are two obvious issues. The first is India’s reliance on five ageing players and Virender Sehwag. You can argue the same about Australia but the fact is they have unearthed fresher faces like Shaun Marsh and Phil Jaques, who has already looked the part at Test level.Not so for India, where the likes of S Badrinath, a contemporary of Jaques, score runs by the bucketful at the first-class level without any recognition. Yuvraj Singh has been around since 2000 but hasn’t cemented his place in Tests, while Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma are untried.As Anil Kumble pointed out after yesterday’s loss, certain players coming into this series have had two-month breaks. And the effect of that, according to Kumble, depends on the individual. Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly struggled at the SSC. A player like VVS Laxman has only played Tests for the last few years and no one-day cricket, yet he looked far more stable against Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajanth Mendis. As far as this series is concerned, India may want to consider having Laxman at No. 3 given his form.Statistically, there is little difference between Laxman’s batting at No. 3 and No. 6. Since his 281 at Eden Gardens in 2001, he averages just under 50 at both positions and has scored four hundreds apiece. His first-innings 56 at the SSC featured some gorgeous shots, and he appeared, Sachin Tendulkar apart, the only batsman comfortable against Sri Lanka’s unorthodox spin attack. When someone bats as well as Laxman did on a pitch favouring spin, it makes sense to send him in early. He scored a crucial hundred against Sri Lanka in 2005, batting at No. 3 on a turner in Ahmedabad.Kumble denied charges that the batting could have failed because of technical reasons. “We have people who have played Test cricket for more than 15 or 20 years,” he said. “You can’t find a more experienced batting line-up.”This may be true, but adjustments need to be made ahead of the Galle Test. The last match in which Laxman batted at No. 3, he scored a sublime century against Australia in Sydney. It may not be a bad idea to have him swap places with Dravid. Those who suggest that Dravid batting lower down the order would throw his balance out of whack are underestimating a batsman with 10,000 Test runs, and one who has arguably looked the most settled in Test cricket among his team-mates. India need to focus on at least drawing this series, and if promoting Laxman is crucial, that’s the way they need to go.India used to thrive on producing quality spin bowlers, but the paucity of resources is worryingThe second issue is India’s bowling. When Australia toured Sri Lanka in 2004, Shane Warne picked up 27 wickets on his return from a drugs ban. The pressure from the other end, where Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz gave little away, was instrumental in Australia’s series win. Neither pace bowler picked up too many wickets, but their accuracy strangled Sri Lanka and Warne reaped the benefits. Murali took 26 in the three Tests but the lack of back up told as Darren Lehman and Damien Martyn took full toll of the other bowlers. Now with Mendis at one end, Murali is more potent than ever.”Everyone talks about the need to be positive against spinners but that’s easier said than done when picking them in real time,” an Indian batsman told Cricinfo. “Only then can you think about being positive. It’s a fact that India just don’t play enough quality spin bowling. People talk about Monty [Panesar] and [Daniel] Vettori – and they are fine spinners – but at the end of the day they are orthodox bowlers.”Mendis and Murali are unorthodox, and bowling in tandem they exert immense pressure from both ends. Previously, in Sri Lanka, you could try and score runs at the other end but now we have to adapt a new strategy because they have the other guy asking just as many questions.”India don’t have such options. Kumble has indeed been unimpressive in his past two series. His 20 wickets in Australia clearly made him weary, but look at the support he had. Harbhajan Singh took eight wickets at 61.25 – and struck once every 18 overs; hardly the stuff that’s going to help you take 20 wickets in a Test. Harbhajan has been around for exactly ten years now, and such is his predicament. Who is going to take wickets for India?India used to thrive on producing quality spin bowlers, but the paucity of resources is worrying . Piyush Chawla and Pragyan Ojha don’t look ready for Test cricket and the only other name that comes to mind is Amit Mishra.In the long run there are plenty of issues for India, but first they have to pick themselves up for Galle. It is just one loss and they have the batting power to come back, as tough as conditions there may be. How they cope there may prove decisive going forward.